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All Music Guide:
Dubbed "the man with the golden throat" by Herbie Hancock, Jon Lucien was the premier crooner of the fusion era -- blessed with a deep, velvety voice ideally matched to romantic ballads, his sophisticated amalgam of soul, light jazz, and Caribbean rhythms never enjoyed commercial success commensurate with the esteem afforded him by critics and peers alike. Born Lucien Harrigan on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on January 8, 1942, he grew up on the neighboring island of St. Thomas. An ardent fan of Nat King Cole, as a teen he played bass in Rico and the Rhythmaires, a group led by his father, Eric. In the mid-'60s he relocated to upstate New York, recording commercial jingles and performing at parties, weddings, and bar mitzvahs. At one such gig he captured the attention of RCA exec Ernie Alshulter, and the label soon extended a contract offer. Renaming himself Jon Lucien, the singer was also a gifted songwriter, but RCA limited his contributions to his 1970 debut, I Am Now. to just one original, instead insisting he record a series of jazz and pop standards: "The record company was attempting to package me as a sort of 'black Sinatra,'" Lucien recalled decades later. "Once the white women started to swoon at my performances, their attitudes quickly changed." Three years in the making, the follow-up, Rashida, consisted solely of Lucien originals. Both the title cut and the bossa nova-inspired single "Lady Love" found some favor with U.S. radio, and the record also earned rapturous critical notice, even earning arranger Dave Grusin a Grammy nomination.
While 1974's Mind's Eye seemed to position Lucien on the cusp of a commercial breakthrough, a move to Columbia for the follow-up, Song for My Lady, conspired to upset his momentum, and in the wake of 1976's Premonition the label terminated his contract. Lucien resurfaced later that year on jazz-rock bassist Alphonso Johnson's Yesterday's Dreams, and in 1978 he also guested on fusion supergroup Weather Report's Mr. Gone. Only in 1982 did he resume his solo career with the Precision label release Romantico. "My frustration stemmed from being asked to be a hit-maker...do disco, country...whatever it takes to sell millions," he later said. "I struggled for the executives to understand my music." Lucien also suffered personal tragedy in 1980 when his young daughter Zeudi Jacira drowned. He spent much of the decade to follow battling drug addiction, and during the mid-'80s returned to the Virgin Islands, ultimately settling in Puerto Rico. With his 1991 comeback album Listen Love he found a home on quiet storm radio playlists. 1993's Mother Nature's Son was also well received at contemporary jazz outlets, but he faced another crushing blow in 1996 when daughter Dalila was killed aboard TWA flight 800, which crashed off the coast of Long Island. (The 1997 album Endless Is Love is dedicated to her memory.) In subsequent years Lucien put aside his differences with the recording industry once and for all by founding his own label, Sugar Apple Music. Health problems plagued him, however, and he died of respiratory failure in Orlando, FL, on August 18, 2007.
Wikipedia:
Jon Lucien (January 8, 1942 – August 18, 2007) was born on the island of Tortola, the main island of the British Virgin Islands. Born Lucien Harrigan, and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands by his musician father, Lucien was best known for his song "Rashida", the title track of an album released in 1973, and one of two Grammy nominated songs on that album. He was also well known for his cover of "Dindi" by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. His smooth baritone drew comparisons with Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls. He was often heard on traditional jazz stations in the United States such as WJZZ in Detroit, Michigan (now WDMK).
In the mid-1960s he relocated to New York City, where he began his musical career. One of his early inspirations was Nat King Cole. His debut album, entitled I Am Now, was released in 1970. 1973 saw the release of Rashida, containing the popular ballads "Would You Believe In Me", "Lady Love", and the title track.
For the follow-up, Lucien collaborated with veteran producer Dave Grusin on the release Mind’s Eye in 1974. This album contained the tunes "Listen Love" and "World Of Joy." The following year, Jon moved to the CBS label for his fourth album release, Song For My Lady, followed in 1976 by Premonition for the same label. Only one release spanned the years between the mid-1970s and 1990, the album Romantico, recorded in 1982 for the Precision label.
After a lengthy absence, Lucien returned in 1991 with Listen Love, a collection that was very much like what he had done at his peak in the 1970s. Further releases included Mother Nature’s Son (1993) and Precious (1999).
Lucien's 17-year-old daughter Dalila along with her aunt Ana Marie Shorter, wife of jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter were killed when N93119, the Boeing 747 airliner on TWA Flight 800 carrying 230 passengers bound for Paris, France, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island, New York, shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport on July 17, 1996. That month, Jon Lucien went into the studio and began recording Endless Is Love. Seeking solace in the studio, he reflected: "My daughter doesn’t want me sitting around being unhappy. I look at her and we communicate. We make music. The music is a special force."
A ‘Best Of’ compilation of his earlier work was released in 2001.
Jon Lucien died in Orlando, Florida on the 18th of August 2007 from respiratory failure and other complications following surgery at age 65.
Quote
“The [RCA] record company was attempting to package me as a sort of ‘black Sinatra’. Once the white women started to swoon at my performances, their attitudes quickly changed.”
